


The Flaw in the Starter

by mutents



Series: The Road Before Us [2]
Category: Father Brown (2013)
Genre: Cheating, F/M, Family, Friends to Lovers, Meet the Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-03 11:22:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10966194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mutents/pseuds/mutents
Summary: "Now, Sid, my brother's train get's in at two, and you absolutely must be there to pick him up. He'll be terribly annoyed if you aren't, and I won't hear the hear the end of it all weekend."





	1. Andrew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place in the Fall of 1947.

"Now, Sidney, my brother's train get's in at two, and you absolutely must be there to pick him up. He'll be terribly annoyed if you aren't, and I won't hear the hear the end of it all weekend."

"Alright, Lady Felicia," Sid said, nodding sharply. "Is there anything else you need me to do?"

"No, that should be all... Just, please bring him immediately back here. I don't want to risk him somehow running into either the Father or Mrs. McCarthy," she said, leading Sid to the Rolls. "Knowing my luck, they'll somehow cross paths anyway..."

"Do you mind if I ask why you don't want them knowing that your eldest brother is in town?" Sid asked, hoping he hadn't over stepped.

"Because Andrew isn't exactly the nicest of my brothers. He has a tendency to say things he shouldn't and not think things through. It used to drive our mother up the wall. She'd always tell him to be more sensitive. He'd try for a few days, but inevitably he would go back to his usual way." She paused, shaking her head. "You'll understand when you meet him. Like I said, just make sure you bring him right back. Even if he asks to stop at the Red Lion for a pint, tell him 'no.'"

"Yes, your ladyship," Sid said, tipping his hat and opening the drivers door, slipping in to the car.

"Oh, and Sidney?" Felicia said, leaning in through the passengers window. "Try to bite your tongue."

Sid smiled, giving her a nod.

* * *

"I absolutely hate the train ride here from London. It's so dreadfully boring. Though, to be honest, this entire county is a bit of a blight..."

Sid rolled his eyes, glad that Andrew Windermere was looking out the window of the car instead of at him.

"It's just so terribly boring out here! I don't understand how Felicia can live like this. She was always so fond of London... Used to talk about all the trouble she'd get into when she'd go out on the town. All of her shenanigans used to terrify our mother."

Sid bit back a chuckle. It wasn't hard to imagine Lady Felicia doing just that; sneaking out when she shouldn't, going to parties that she shouldn't... It was nice to know so little had changed.

"Driver, where's the nearest pub? I'm feeling like a pint."

"I'm sorry sir, but Lady Montague has requested that I bring you immediately back to the estate," Sid said, making eye contact with the man in the rear view.

"Nonsense! Besides, what my sister doesn't know can't hurt her!"

Sid shook his head. "Sorry sir, I promised."

"Oh, fine," Andrew huffed, slumping in his seat. "Shame that my dear sister had to become a stick in the mud," It took all of Sid's self control not to chime in in disagreement. Lady Felicia was many things, but a stick in the mud was not one of them.

* * *

"Andrew," Felicia said, giving her brother a large, though fake, smile. "It's so good to see you!"

Sid bit back a snicker as he poured drinks for both Lady Felicia and her brother.

"It has been," Andrew responded, kissing her on both cheeks. "Far too long, my dearest sister. It's just rather difficult to visit you now that you are out here... It was always so wonderful having you in the city, where I could visit you any time."

"Yes, well..." Felicia said, shrugging lightly. "Monty's estate isn't in London. Besides, I quite like it out here. Much calmer than the city." She smiled up at Sid as he handed her the tumbler. "Thank you, Sid," she murmured, receiving a silent nod in response before he moved to pass the other glass to Andrew. The other man stayed silent, taking the glass but not acknowledging Sid's existence.

"Is there anything else you need, your ladyship?" Sid asked, moving to stand by the doorway.

"No, thank you Sid. If you would like to leave, I don't think I will be requiring you until later."

"Yes, your ladyship," Sid said, nodding to her and stepping out of the room. Moving to the front door, he threw it open and hurried down the stairs, pulling out a cigarette as he went. As he moved to the side of the house that the sitting room was, lighting his cigarette as he stood next to the window.

He'd always been a curious bastard.

"I don't understand you, sister dear," Andrew began, his tone already exasperated. "You've always been odd about the servants..." Sid's ears perked up, interested in hearing about Felicia's youth. "And this driver of yours seems to be no different; he hardly deserves the fine treatment you give him. He's not a particularly good driver, and seems to have a rather lackluster personality on that." He paused, taking a rather loud sip from his glass. "Do you remember that gardener of ours... What was his name?"

"Jamison," Felicia said, her jaw clenched from the sounds of it.

"That's right! Dreadful old sod, wasn't he? Always using such foul language... An utterly uncouth man."

"Jamison was a fine lad," Felicia said, her tone biting. "Just because you never got along with him doesn't mean he was a bad man! He was a rather humorous old sod. And Sid's no different. He might not be a part of the social circles our mother deemed acceptable, but he's kind and he listens. That's certainly more than can be said for my husband."

"Yes, but Monty's the right sort, isn't he?" Andrew asked, sounding haughty.

"And how are we to decide what is 'the right sort,' Andrew?"

Sid smirked, stubbing out the cigarette and moving back around to the servants entrance. He's spend a bit of time with Nina in the kitchen while he waited to be needed again.

* * *

"Sid, would you come here," Lady Felicia said, stepping into the kitchen and gesturing to him. He and the rest of the staff had actually had to eat dinner there, which was something they only did during parties.

He gave her a sharp nod, lifting his glass of whiskey to his lips and finishing it off before following after the woman. She stayed quiet until they'd reached the confines of her library, the door shut securely behind them.

"I need a drink," she murmured, sitting heavily down in her chair. Sid smirked, moving to the sideboard where the glasses and decanter were set, pouring two fingers into each glass. He watched as she slipped her shoes off and tucked them underneath her, before handing her one one of the glasses and settling into the chair next to hers.

"Andrew exhausts me," she said after taking a drink from her glass. "He always has."

"Can understand why," Sid said, stretching out his legs in front of him and taking pull from his own glass. "Seems like a bit of a prick if you ask me."

Felicia gave him a tired smile. "Believe it or not, there is more to him then meets the eye. He used to be a lot sweeter, but, after the war..." She trailed off, taking another drink. "Like so many other men, he came back changed."

Sid nodded, understanding what Lady Felicia meant. He'd known enough men who came back completely different then when they left. "So, what are the plans for tomorrow?" He asked, deciding it would be best if he shifted the topic at hand slightly.

"Andrew is dead set on going fox hunting. Do you happen to know of any good spots? I haven't gone hunting since I was a little girl, and Monty is always to busy."

"I might know of a place or two," he said, bringing his glass to his lips once more.

"Excellent," she said, finishing off her glass and setting it on the side table. "And would you mind terribly coming with us?"

"Of course I can," Sid said, quirking his head to the side.

"Wonderful," she murmured, standing up and moving to the door of the library. "I'm going to turn in, then," she said, giving him a smile.

Sid nodded, giving a small smile as she left. Pushing himself to his feet, he moved back to the sideboard, pouring himself another finger.

* * *

"Exactly how far away is this hunting spot of yours, driver?" Andrew asked, panting slightly.

Sid rolled his eyes before turning around to look at the other man. "Just another half mile or so," Sid said, shifting the pack on his back and the guns on his shoulder.

"Dear lord... You country folk sure do quite a lot of walking, don't you?"

Sid stayed quiet, choosing instead to turn around and continuing down the path. He knew that nothing he would say would be kind.

"It actually rather nice, Andrew," Felicia said, moving past her brother and closer to Sid. "Almost everything is within walking distance..."

"And yet you still have a driver," Andrew said, giving a smarmy smile.

"Andrew," Felicia muttered.

"Just pointing out the hypocrisy of your words, my dear sister."

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "And I rather if you didn't; it's beginning to grate."

"What do you mean?" Andrew asked, tilting his head to the side.

Felicia rolled her eyes, looking over at Sid. She put one of her fists on her hip, stepping towards her brother and shaking a finger at him. "I mean that I'm tired of how you've been treating my staff, Andrew!" She exclaimed. "You've done nothing but insult Sidney since you arrived, despite how helpful he's been to you. When I told him you wanted to go hunting, he instantly said that he knew just the place. And yes, perhaps it's far from the road, but you were the one who wanted to do it in the first place!

"So, I'm going to ask you as kindly as I can, to please stop insulting him."

Andrew drew back, obviously surprised by what his sister had just said. Sid couldn't fault him for that; he'd been just as shocked by the anger in her tone.

"I'm... I'm sorry Felicia, I didn't realize how... passionately you felt about your driver..."

"And that's just it! It's not that I feel any differently about him then I do my cook or my butler! The only difference is that I do feel like they are all people beyond being my employees. And that, I firmly believe, is not an insane notion.

She paused, huffing slightly as she came down from her tirade. She shifted awkwardly, running her hands down the front of her jacket. "Now, do you want to hunt or do you want us to turn around and go back to the estate?"

* * *

Felicia sighed, falling onto the settee with exhaustion. "That was an exhausting weekend," she sighed.

"Glad it's over, eh?" Sid asked, sitting down in the chair that she usually took.

"Yes," she said, draping an arm over her closed eyes. "I love him, but he's just so... priggish!"

Sid chuckled lowly, nodding slightly. "At least you managed to keep him away from the Father and Mrs. McCarthy this entire weekend," Sid said.

"We did manage to do that, didn't we."

"We?"

"Don't sell yourself short, Sid," Felicia responded, lifting her arm from across her eyes and looking at him. "You were just as instrumental in keeping him busy as I was. If you hadn't known about that hunting spot, I fear we would have had to go into town for a pint."

"You say that like it's a bad thing. Maybe a pint would have shut him up for a while. At the very least it would have made me happier."

Felicia gave him a tired smile. "Now that you mention it, that does sound like an excellent plan," she said, pushing herself to her feet and then offering him her hand to pull him out of the chair.

"I'm always in for a drink," Sid said, letting her tug him up.

"Maybe we can stop by the presbytery, see if Father Brown would like to join us."

"I like the sound of that," Sid said, clapping his hand together and leading the way.


	2. Bernard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place in the early months of 1948, setting this after [The Fire in the Pistons](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10960959).

"Bernard!" Felicia exclaimed, standing from the settee. "What the devil are you doing in Kembleford? And at this hour?"

"Felicia!" The man said, his voice boisterous as he wrapped his arms around Felicia, lifting her from her feet. "What, can't a man visit his younger sister?" He asked, setting her back down.

"Of course you can," she said, patting him on the forearms. "You just never do."

"Which is why I figured I should do so now!" He paused, turning to Sid, who'd been standing by the sideboard and pouring himself and Felicia drinks. "And who is this?" He asked, his voice taking on a knowing tone.

"Oh! This is Sidney, my driver. He's been helping me plan my latest soiree," Felicia said, smiling warmly at Sid.

"That's quite the driver!" Benard exclaimed, stepping towards the man and offering his hand. "Bernard Windermere, one of Felicia's many brothers."

Sid nodded, taking the man's hand and shaking it. Upon letting go of the hand, he turned to Felicia. "Lady Montague, I think I'll turn in, yeah?"

Felicia gave him a smile, "of course."

* * *

Sid looked up from the book he'd been reading as he heard the library door get pulled open. It was nearing three in the morning, and he'd usually be asleep by now. Unfortunately for him, he'd been unable to turn his brain off. He'd decided to relax with a book in the library, have a cigarette or two.

"Oh, excuse me," Bernard murmured, pulling at the cuffs of his sleep shirt. "I didn't think anyone would still be awake."

"Usually wouldn't be," Sid said, bringing his cigarette to his lips and taking a pull.

Bernard nodded, moving over to the book shelves nearest the door. "Can't fall asleep, eh?"

"Not this evening, no," Sid said, turning his attention back to his book.

After several minutes of silence between the two men, Bernard moved to the chair opposite of the one Sid was in. Sid glanced up at him, and shifted uncomfortably. The other man was giving him an odd look.

"What book are you reading?" Bernard asked.

Sid held the book up, showing the title _My Life and Loves_. "Lady Montague recommended it to me," he said, shrugging slightly.

Bernard smirked, "oh, and what do you think of it?" He asked, his tone knowing.

"It's... uh, it's intriguing..." Sid said, gulping lightly. He really didn't want to discuss an erotic novel with Lady Felicia's brother - hell, he'd lost count of how many times he contemplated just putting the novel back on the shelves and never thinking about it again. For some reason though, he just hadn't done so yet.

Bernard chuckled warmly. "My sister has always been fond of the obscene," he said, nodding. "One of the best days of our childhood was when our mother discovered my sisters copy of the Kama Sutra."

Sid smirked at the thought.

"And what about you, Mr. Carter?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you a... fan of the obscene?" Bernard asked, reaching out and setting his hand on Sid's knee.

Sid jumped from his seat. "I, uh... I'm finally feeling tired. I think I'll go and retire for the evening!" Sid exclaimed, quickly leaving the room.

As he reached his room, he paused, before deciding instead to go to Lady Felicia's. He was surprised by how quickly she answered the knock on her door. "Sid, what ever are you doing up at this hour?"

He pushed past her and into her room. He didn't speak until she'd shut the door the behind him. "I..." he paused, running his hands violently through his hair. "Is your brother a..."

She pulled her head back, a look of understanding coming over her face. "He... came on to you, didn't he?"

"So he is," Sid said, sitting heavily on the wooden chair in her room.

She nodded. "Yes, he is. And, I apologize for him. He isn't usually so... blatant in his affections."

Sid leaned over in the chair, placing his head in his hands. He was surprised when he felt gentle hands on his shoulder.

* * *

The next morning, Sid was talking to Nina in the kitchen when he heard an argument in the dining room. He stood, moving down the hall to the dining room.

"Bernard, you can't just go flirting willy nilly with my staff! Just because I am well aware of your leanings doesn't mean the people I employ do," Felicia said, her voice risen in anger.

"I'm so very sorry, Felicia," Bernard murmured, his voice quiet and so blatantly repentant. "I... I thought he was giving me signs, that's all. We'd been talking about one of your books, one that you had recommended him, and I thought..."

"Oh, Bernard," she said, her voice going quiet. "I'm so sorry... I don't think Sid meant to do that."

Her brother snorted at the comment. "I realize that now, dearest."

The two went quiet for a minute, and Sid was about to leave before he heard Felicia speak again. "What are you doing here, Bernard?" Felicia asked, her voice still quiet.

"I'm broke, Felicia," Bernard said, his voice so quiet that Sid had to struggle to hear his words. "Certain people have discovered my... proclivities. They realized it would be an easy way to make a few extra dollars, and started blackmailing me."

"Bernard," Felicia whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. "Oh, Bernard."

"I fear I might have to leave London... I can't afford to live there, and if I stay there I might have to continue these payments to these... extortionists! I can't deal with the stress of it!"

Sid stepped away from the door, deciding to give them the privacy that he'd robbed from them.

* * *

"I wanted to apologize to you, Mr. Carter," Bernard said, offering him his hand. The other man was standing in front of his own car, a sporty little thing that Sid had been jealous of the first time he'd said eyes on it.

Sid took his hand, giving it a hardy shake. "No harm done," he replied, giving him a sharp nod.

"My sister is a wonderful woman, Mr. Carter," Bernard said, his voice turning quiet. "I can't think of a single man who deserves her love. I perhaps least of all. And yet, when I ask her for a few thousand pounds, she passes me a check for it."

Sid nodded again, knowing exactly what the other man meant. "She is. Gave me a job when I first got back here to Kembleford," he said, pulling out two cigarettes and passing one to Bernard. "That's something not many others would have done."

"Leaving already, Bernard?" Felicia asked, moving down the front steps of the house.

"You had the right of it yesterday when you pointed out I hate the country. You're right, I do, perhaps even more than Andrew does."

"And we both know how much Andrew despises the country," the two said, on beat with the other.

"I'll miss you, brother dear," Felicia said, giving the man a hug. "And no matter how much you may hate being away from the bustling city, know that you can always come and visit me."

"I know, Felicia," Bernard replied, pressing his lips to both of her cheeks in farewell. "And I will, I promise."

She gave him a slight slap on his shoulder. "You're absolutely full of it, Bernard."

"I always have been, and I do think I always will be," he said, letting go of her and slipping behind the wheel of his car and closing the door.

"Never change, brother mine," she said, moving to stand beside Sid.

"And you, Mr. Carter," Bernard said, gesturing him to come closer. "Keep an eye on my sister, yes?"

Sid glanced back towards the woman in question, before giving him a nod. "My pleasure."

* * *

So, what did my brother tell you there at the end?" Felicia asked, leaning against the mantle of the fireplace.

"Nothing important," Sid said, setting onto the settee and throwing his feet up on the armrest.

"You're a terrible liar Sidney," Felicia said, moving to join him on the settee, moving his feet off of the side and onto the floor.

"That's a damn lie; I'm a fantastic liar. Wouldn't have gotten as far as I have in life if I wasn't." He paused, looking at her with warmth in his eyes. "He told me to keep an eye on you. I think he wants to make sure you don't get into any trouble."

Felicia snorted. "Oh, because you would be able to stop me. Besides, if one of us is going to get into trouble, it's going to be you."

Sid shrugged. "I don't know, it's just what he told me to do."

Felicia smirked at him, turning to lean against the armrest and tucking her feet beneath his thighs. He turned his head to look at her, giving her a confused look. "My toes are chilly." She shifted on the seat. "What book of mine have you been reading?"

"What are you talking about?" Sid asked, shifting lower in the seat and putting his feet up on the coffee table.

"Bernard mentioned you were reading one of my books. I don't mind, I'm simply curious."

Sid brought his hand to his face, rubbing his jaw in embarrassment. "Uhh... _My Life and Loves_..." Felicia snickered loudly. "Oh shut it... I heard you talking about it with one of your Lady friends... Saw it on the bookshelves here and was curious."

"And...? What ever do you think of it?"

"It's... dirty."

Felicia let out a warm laugh, throwing her head back.

Sid couldn't help but watch her closely as she did, taking in the column of her throat. He was taken by her beauty once more - he'd managed to avoid those thoughts since Bunty's visit.

She was perfect; her skin the color of cream, and her eyes always alight with a spark of humor. Her hair was like golden silk, and he hated the emotions she brought out in him. He'd never been one to wax poetically, not even in his youth. He'd always just viewed women as a means to an end.

But Felicia... She was different. She made him realize that some women did warrant those heavy emotions.

"What are you thinking, Sidney Carter?" Felicia asked, propping her head up on the back of the couch.

"Nothing," Sid said, shaking his head violently and turning his attention to the book shelves.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her smirk.


	3. Connor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set in the Spring of 1948.
> 
> Leesy is pronounced 'Lee-see.'

"I think it's the timing belt," Sid said, wiping his hands on a cloth before tucking it back into his pocket.

"Of course it is," Felicia muttered, leaning against the side of the car.

Sid shut the bonnet, leaning against it with both palms flat. "Don't know what to tell you, Lady Felicia," he said, squinting slightly because of the sun.

"I suppose there's nothing to do about it..." Felicia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"If you'd like I can walk back into town, see if someone will let me borrow their car. We're only about three miles out; shouldn't take me more than an hour."

Felicia nodded, giving him a tired smile. "I suppose that's our only option, really..."

The sound of a car grabbed their attention, and Sid quickly moved into the road to flag them down. He was glad when they slowed down, moving to the open window. "Hello! Can I ask where you're going?"

"I'm going to the Montague Estate," the man said.

Sid narrowed his eyes instantly suspicious. Before he could ask what for, though, Felicia had moved to stand behind him. "Connor!" She exclaimed, giving the man a smile.

"Leesy!" The man exclaimed, opening his drivers door and moving around to the side they were standing on. "Just the little lady I was looking for!"

Felicia wrapped her arms around him, a look of shock on her face. "I didn't know you were back from India!"

"I've only been back for a day. Got in yesterday, and immediately got a train ticket to Kembleford. Didn't even stop to visit mummy."

Sid tapped Felicia on the shoulder, hoping not to interrupt the moment.

"Oh, yes Sid?" Felicia said, her tone of voice making it seem that she'd forgotten about him.

"I take it you can get a ride back to the estate with him?" He asked, lifting his chin in the other man's direction.

"Yes, of course!" She exclaimed, turning to Connor and giving him a bright smile. "I'm sure my brother won't mind, right?"

The man shook his head, grinning at Sid. "Course I don't mind! Give me more time to catch up with her!"

"Right," Sid said, nodding. "Then, I'm gonna go into town, see if I can't get someone to help me with the car, yeah?"

"That sounds fantastic, Sidney. I'll see you in a few hours, yes?"

Sid nodded again, watching as she got in the car with the other man. He didn't turn around to head into town until the car had started down the road.

* * *

Sid let out a grunt as he sat down on the kitchen chair, slowly slipping his feet into a pot of ice water with a his of pain. He'd walked the three miles back into town and hadn't managed to find anyone to help, so he'd had to walk the fifteen miles back to the estate.

His feet were just one big blister, and he knew that he was going to regret all that walking tomorrow.

"Here," Nina said, setting a nearly full glass of rum in front of him. "You look like you could really use it."

"Thanks, Nina," Sid murmured, grabbing the glass and immediately draining it. "Can I get another one?"

"Fine, but I'm not your maid."

Sid chuckled, leaning back in his seat and letting out a moan as his feet scraped against the bottom of the pot. "Ah... Hell..."

"What the devil were you thinking, Carter?" Nina asked, huffing as she set the bottle of rum on the table next to him.

"That Lady Felicia's car was broken and that it's my job to fix it," he said, not bothering with the glass, just going straight for the bottle.

"Yeah, and I doubt she'll be very happy you broke yourself in the process."

"Ah, Sidney," Felicia said, stepping into the kitchen and giving him a bright smile. "I was wondering where you'd gotten to."

"Making foolish decisions as usual, Miss," Nina muttered, pushing herself up from the chair she'd sat down in.

"What do you mean?" Felicia asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Nothing!" Sid exclaimed, narrowing his eyes at Nina.

"Look at what he did to his feet!" Nina exclaimed, gesturing to the pot on the floor.

Felicia moved to stand next to him, giving a pointed look at his feet in the bucket. "And what, exactly, did you do?" She asked through clenched teeth.

Sid sighed, pulling his feet slowly and carefully from the pot and showing them to her.

Felicia took a sharp intake of breath, before turning slowly to Nina. "Nina, could you possibly give Sidney and I the room, please?"

"Yes, ma'am," Nina said, nodding at the two of them and scuttling out of the room.

"Look, Felicia, it's..." Sid started, slipping his feet back in the pot with another hiss of pain.

"Don't you dare say it's nothing, Sidney Carter," she said, her voice sharp. "What the hell were you thinking?" She continued, putting her hands on her hips.

"That the car was broken, and I needed to get it fixed. Unfortunately the boys down at the club weren't feeling particularly helpful tonight, so I walked back."

"My god, Sidney! That's eighteen miles! No wonder you missed dinner..." She sighed, moving to sit down on the chair Nina had just evacuated. "I was rather nervous when you weren't back after an hour..." She murmured, clasping her hands and setting them on the table.

"I'm fine, Felicia," he said, reaching for her hands and gently holding it. "It's gonna hurt in the morning, but this ice water is helping."

"I'm sure the rum isn't hurting either," she said, lifting her chin towards the bottle in his hand.

"You're not wrong," he said, bringing the bottle back to his lips. He set the bottle back on the table, and grinned as he saw Felicia reach for it and take a long pull from it herself. His grin turned heady at the sight, watching the column of her throat working as she drank down the liquid.

"Why didn't you call?" She asked, setting the bottle back in his reach. He couldn't help but realize she was still lightly holding onto his hand.

"I figured you would want to spend time with your brother," he said, shrugging.

"You're terribly sweet, Sidney," she murmured, giving him a warm smile, threading her fingers with his and squeezing his hand tightly. "And I appreciate it greatly. But, don't be foolish enough to think that I wouldn't want to spare you the fifteen mile hike back from town."

Sid nodded, not wanting to ruin the moment they were having.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, neither looking away from the other. The sound of a clock striking nine shook them from what they were experiencing. Felicia let go quickly, pushing herself to her feet and moving towards the fridge. "Here, I'm sure your starving. Let me warm some of the leftovers up for you."

Sid nodded again, not trusting his voice.

* * *

Sid sighed, wrapping his left foot with one of the cloth bandages he'd found on his dresser this morning. He'd been right in his prediction - his feet were killing him.

He wrapped them both tightly before slipping on his socks and shoes. He grunted as he moved to the door, leaning heavily on the furniture as he walked. When he reached the hallway, he used the wall to prop himself up.

"Doing alright there... Sidney, right?" An unfamiliar voice asked, causing Sid to turn and see Connor walking up behind him, already dressed for the day.

"Uh, yeah... I'm doing fine," Sid responded.

"Felicia told me about your hike yesterday. You are quite the employee, aren't you?"

"I certainly try my best, sir," Sid said, shifting awkwardly on his feet.

Connor clapped him on the shoulder. "If you'd like, you can borrow my car today to drive into town, see if you can't fix that Rolls of Leecy's."

Sid nodded, grateful for the offer. "Ta," Sid said, nodding at him.

"What are your thoughts on my sister, Sidney?" Connor asked, walking with Sid down the hallway.

"What do you mean?" Sid asked in return, confused by the question.

"I mean do you have any affection for my sister beyond friend." Sid shifted, feeling uncomfortable. "You don't have to say anything, I already know the answer. We men are much less subtle in our affections than the fairer sex."

Sid stayed quiet, not wanting to give away the truth, that he'd found himself feeling things for his married employer that he shouldn't.

"It's alright if you are," he continued.

"What?" Sid asked, knowing his voice was beyond shocked.

"I'll admit, I haven't seen my sister in a few years. Not since before she moved here, actually. She was married to the Earl of Montague for about six years before they came out to the estate. Last time I saw her was when she asked for help moving boxes into this house.

"But, even before he made her move out to the country, I knew my sister wasn't happy with the Earl of Montague. She never smiled when he was around, didn't joke when he was around. But, it was a marriage that our parents approved of, and unfortunately that had to be enough for her.

"I haven't lost hope that she'd find someone worthy of her infections. And anyone willing to walk eighteen miles for Felicia... That's quite the feat."

Sid huffed, rolling his shoulder to shrug off Connor's hand. "Look mate," Sid started, raising both his hands towards him and moving them in a placating gesture. "I don't know what you're talking about, yeah?"

Connor straightened up, narrowing his eyes at Sid. "Fine," he muttered. He reached into his pocket, and passing him his keys. "Be careful with my car, yeah?"

"Right," Sid said, plucking them from his hand and moving to hobble down the hallway.

* * *

"And Leesy... She looks straight at Nanny and she tells her... She tells her, 'I've stabbed myself with this needle half a dozen times. My sampler looks like a murder scene!' And that... That's how my twelve year old sister convinced our stubborn Nanny to let her stop working on her needlework," Connor exclaimed, laughing heartily at his own story.

Felicia smirked, sipping at her wine. "Nanny never looked at me the same way again..." she murmured.

Sid was bent over in his chair, his hands braced on the table as he laughed. "That's... That's the best story I've ever heard!" He said, trying to catch his breath.

"Leesy's always been a spitfire. Has anyone told you the story of when she snuck a boy up to her room?"

"Connor, no! He doesn't want to hear that!"

"No, no - I very much want to hear about that!" Sid said, waving his hand in Felicia's direction.

"It was the son of stable master. She skipped dinner - told mother that she was sick - and while we were all in the dining room, she brought him up the servants stairs. And, best of all, mother would never have realized if it hadn't been for the fact that while he was leaving, he knocked over a vase in the hallway!"

Sid turned his attention from Connor to Felicia, a large grin on his face.

"I firmly believe mother should have thanked me - that vase was hideous," Felicia said, giving a small shrug.

* * *

Sid sat on the edge of his bed, flinching in pain as he slowly unwrapped his feet. As he worked on doing so, he heard a quiet knock on his door. "Come in," he called, before letting out a loud grunt in pain.

"Everything alright?" Felicia asked, taking a step into the room, setting down a basin of water before settling next to him on the bed. "Did the bandages help?"

"Who knows... It's only been a day. These things take longer to heel than that," Sid said, pausing in his unwrapping.

"Well, I brought you that basin so you could wash them off again." She paused, smoothing out her skirt. "I thought about bringing up a bottle of whiskey as well, but decided against it."

"That's unfortunate," Sid said, moving back to unwrapping the bandages. He closed his eyes, hissing in pain. "Could really use it right now."

"My lord..." Felicia murmured, looking at feet. "Rather reminds me of raw meat..."

"Feels like it, too," Sid said, placing the used bandage on the bed beside him. As he placed his foot heavily on the floor, he rubbed his face with both hands.

"Are you alright?" She murmured.

"Fine," He said, not wanting to turn to look at her. He kept thinking about what Connor had said to him earlier; about Felicia and what it was he actually felt for her.

She leaned over, bumping their shoulders together. "You know you can tell me anything, don't you?"

Sid nodded, staying quiet and beginning to unwrap the other foot

"I've been thinking about the work you do for me, Sid," she said, changing the subject. Sid froze; those words never lead to good conversations. "You've been in my employment for a year now, and it has been quite a year indeed."

Sid sighed, biting his lip. It had been foolish of him to grow so comfortable in his role as Felicia's driver and general handyman. He knew better than that. "I suppose you'll want me gone by the morning, yeah?" He asked.

"What the devil are you talking about, Sid? I'm trying to give you a promotion!" Felicia exclaimed, huffing lightly.

Sid turned his attention fulling to Felicia. "You're what?"

"Sidney, you walked eighteen miles to fix my car yesterday, and then drove in to town today to get the part and did the maintenance on the side of the road. I can't imagine anyone being foolish enough to fire you!"

Sid snorted. "You should tell that to the people in London." Felicia chuckled as well. He settled into silence for a few minutes, Sid looking around the room. "Perhaps I can buy myself a trailer finally, get out of your hair."

"You've never gotten in my hair, Sid."


	4. Desmond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set in the Summer of 1948. Takes place before [The Scratch in the Wind Screen](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10970712).
> 
> I originally had this quite a bit longer, but I unfortunately lost all of it. So, this condensed version will have to do.

"Can you possibly take these bottles with you, Sid," Felicia said, handing him the four bottles of rum she'd just taken from her cabinet. "Desmond is a recovering alcoholic and I'd rather avoid tempting fate."

Sid nodded, taking them carefully from her. "Just know you'll only be getting two of these back, Felicia," he said, smiling down at her.

"That's fine," she said, smiling as she rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

Sid’s smile turned impish as he leaned down to press his lips to the top of her head. “Anything else you need me to do?”

“Well, if you’re willing to bring you toolbox tomorrow, the railing in the gazebo needs fixing.”

Sid nodded again, placing his bottles down on the table before turning back to her and pulling her close.

“Is now really the time, Sid?” she asked, chuckling at his eagerness.

“No, probably not…” He said, pressing his lips to hers. “Of course, it’s not like I care, really.”

Felicia smiled against his lips, returning his kiss with passion. After a few moments, she pulled away from his lips and starting pressing kisses into his jaw. “If you aren’t willing to back up these kisses with action, Sid, we should best stop.”

Sid pulled back from her, turning to the bottles on the table and plucking one from the table. “Make that one bottle you’ll be getting back,” he said, turning to her and taking her hand.

* * *

Sid paused outside the library door, setting down his toolbox on the sideboard. He looked down at his shirt, quickly dusting off the front in a rather futile attempt to get the dirt that was there off.

“How is Monty?” He heard Desmond ask.

“I imagine he’s doing well. He’s in London right now – has been for nearly a month now. He’s doing some work for the Queen, I believe.”

“That’s wonderful! Does he enjoy the work?”

“I believe so. Enough that he spends most of his time in the London flat at the very least.”

Sid reached his hand up and knocked on the doorjamb.

“Yes, Sid?” Felicia asked, turning to look at him from where she was sitting on the couch.

“I finished fixing the railing on the gazebo, Lady Felicia,” he said, his eyes flicking between her and Desmond, who was standing by the window with a cigarette. “Is there anything else you need me to fix while I have my toolbox here?”

“Oh! Yes!” Felicia exclaimed, pushing herself to her feet and moving towards her desk. “I wrote a list of things I was hoping you could do,” she continued, pulling out the top drawer and pulling out a sheet of paper. As she slid the drawer back closed, she leaned against the desk and offered it to him.

He nodded, crossing the room to take it from her. He looked down at her, giving her a warm smile, getting a bright one from her in return. “Is there anything else you need from me today? Planning on going anywhere tonight?”

Felicia shook her head. “No, I shouldn’t need you to take the Rolls out tonight. But, if you could find me tonight after dinner, I would like to talk to you about our plans for tomorrow, though.”

Sid gave her another nod, glancing over towards Desmond whose focus was still what was going outside. Turning back towards Felicia he gave her a knowing grin. “Of course, your ladyship.”

* * *

Sid was quiet as he snuck down the servant’s stairs, hoping to avoid waking anyone in the house as he left Felicia’s bedroom. He paused as he reached the kitchen doorway, the sound of someone in the room stopping him. He could hear the sound of cabinets being shuffled through, and he slowly entered the room.

He was surprised to Desmond in the room, searching desperately around the pantry. Sid stepped heavily onto the floor, alerting the other man to his presence.

Desmond spun on heels, narrowing his eyes angrily at Sid. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I… work here?” He murmured, his voice taking on a questioning tone. “May I ask what you’re doing down here, Mr. Windermere?”

“I’m certainly not looking for a drink,” he said, blustering.

Sid took another step towards the man, putting his hands up in a placating gesture. “How ‘bout you just take a seat, Mr. Windermere. I’ll make you a cup of tea, yeah?”

Desmond narrowed his eyes at Sid, before sighing and taking a seat. “Yes, alright…” He muttered.

Sid went around the room, putting the kettle on and prepping the cups. As soon as he heard the kettle whistle, he grabbed it from the stovetop and poured it over the leaves in the cup. He grabbed the sugar jar and the bottle of milk. Setting it down on the table, he pulled out the other chair and took a seat. “You want to talk about it?” Sid asked, beginning to prepare his cup.

“No!” Desmond said sharply, pulling his own cup to him. He was silent for a moment, before nodding sadly. “But I should…” He pulled himself closer to the table.

“I started drinking during the war. It was an easy way to cope with it all, by being absolutely blitzed. Then, I came home, and suddenly it was more than just a way to cope. It was what I needed. Drank away my savings… Damn near did the same with my wife’s. Would have left Bunty without a penny, if my sister hadn’t stepped in.”

“She and my wife helped get me treatment. The best of the best, those two women. And it did help, for quite a while. But, I lost my job a few months ago, and suddenly… Suddenly I found myself needing the drink again. So, I started up once more…”

Sid nodded, taking a sip from his cup. “Have you thought about telling her? Felicia, I mean.”

Desmond gave a nod of his own. “Yes. Part of the reason I came here this weekend. Spent the entire day trying to convince myself to tell her. Nearly managed it… oh, half a dozen times. But, every time I came up short. Couldn’t get the words past my lips.” He paused, shifting on his chair. “I don’t want to risk disappointing her.”

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned working for Lady Felicia, it’s that she cares very much for her family. I highly doubt she’ll be passing any judgement for it.”

“Oh, I know that… She’s too good of a woman for that. Doesn’t make it any easier to tell her. She’s my baby sister, and I’ve failed – not once, but twice.”

Sid leaned over the table, looking Desmond in the eye. “You haven’t failed, Mr. Windermere. You’re not the only man who came back from the war with your share of problems. Hell, the pub’s full of ‘em. The war changed people. Made bad men worse, and broke the good ones. You’re one of the good ones, I can tell. Bunty’s proof enough of that.”

Desmond gave Sid a sad smile, pushing himself to his feet.

“Thank you, Mr. Carter… I think I’ll retire now.”

“You’ll tell Felicia, yeah?”

Desmond nodded. “Yes. I think I will.”

* * *

The evening after Desmond left, Sid brought back the remaining bottle of rum and met Felicia in her library.

“My brother told you, didn’t he?” She asked, pouring the rum into two tumblers and handing them both to him where he was sitting on the settee. She sat down next to him, curling up against his side before plucking her glass from his hands. “That he’d fallen off the wagon, as it was.”

Sid gave a one arm shrug, wrapping the other one around her shoulders. “Maybe,” he said, taking a pull from his drink.

Felicia chuckled, taking a sip from her own glass. “You’re a good man, Sidney Carter. And I must thank you for what you did. I could tell something wasn’t right with my brother; he was far edgier than usual.”

Sid nodded, laying his arm against the arm rest and holding the glass by its rim. “I take it he’s not headed back to London.”

She shook her head. “No. There’s a facility near Ipswich. He’s been there before and it did him well. I just hope it does him good this time as well.”

Sid rubbed his thumb against the skin of her forearm. “He won’t be cured, of course; can’t cure what afflicts him, unfortunately.”

“I can’t think of a single person that bloody war didn’t hurt…” Felicia murmured.

“I don’t think there is anyone who managed to avoid the scars of it.”


	5. Edward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in the Fall of 1948.

"We really ought to buy a few more lilacs," Felicia murmured, sipping from her lemonade as Sid pulled weeds.

"Ah yes... That royal 'we' you're so fond of,” he said, leaning back on his haunches. “I think at this next year’s Flower Festival I'm going to accept your prize, especially considering I've done all the work."

“Don’t be ridiculous, Sid!” She exclaimed, giving him a bright smile. “I’ll make sure to thank you when I accept my ribbon.”

Sid shifted, leaning back and looking up at the sun.

“Quite a beautiful day, isn’t it?” Felicia asked, pushing herself to her feet and moving to stand beside him.

“Perfect, really,” Sid said, shifting his focus to her face.

Felicia looked down at him, a smirk on her lips. “You’re a hopeless romantic, Sid,” she murmured, offering him her hand to pull him to his feet.

“Your ladyship,” Roger said, stepping into the garden.

“Yes Roger?” Felicia asked, turning to the butler a smile on her lips.

“You have a visitor. A man by the name of Edward?”

Felicia’s entire face lit up. “My word!” She exclaimed, dropping Sid’s hand and rushing past the butler and around the house. Sid looked at Roger, rolling his eyes and moving to follow the woman.

He was surprised to see Felicia with her arms wrapped around another man as he swung her around. Slipping his hands in his pockets, he stepped closer to Felicia and the man Roger had called Edward.

“How have you been, Edward?” Felicia asked once he’d put her done, pushing away from him slightly. “I haven’t seen you in ages! How was Germany?”

“Wonderfully provincial! I don’t think I’ve relaxed like that since the war!” He took a step back, giving her an impish grin. “And, well… I met someone, Felicia.”

Felicia gave him a warm smile. “That’s wonderful, Edward,” she murmured, grabbing him by the elbow and bringing him towards her house. “What is she like?”

“That’s the thing, Felicia… I might have brought her with me.”

“Oh, Edward,” she exclaimed. “You always were a hopeless romantic,” she continued, rolling her eyes.

“I’m sorry, sissy… But I just had to let you meet her. We’re planning on getting married this spring, and I’m terribly hopeful that you’ll come.”

“What sort of a silly question is that, Edward? Of course I will! You are my favorite brother, after all,” she said, giving him a grin.

“Uh, Lady Felicia?” Sid called, catching her attention before she could step inside.

“Oh, Sid! Yes?”

“I’ll, uh… Well, I’ll just go back to the garden, yeah?”

“Yes, that would be wonderful. Though, you must come to dinner tonight! That way you can get to know Edward!”

Sid flicked his eyes towards Edward, who had an affable smile on his face, the turned his focus back to Felicia. “Course. Always glad to.”

* * *

Sid was leaning against the sideboard in the dining room, dressed in one of the suits that Felicia had had made for him several months ago. He so rarely had a reason to wear them… He was waiting for Felicia to arrive, or anyone really.

“And this, Sonja, is the dining room!” Edward explained, leading in a beautiful woman with dark hair and eyes.

“Oh, what wonderful furniture!” The younger woman exclaimed, looking around the room in awe before focusing on Sid. “And are you the Earl?” She asked, offering him her hand.

Sid bit back a bark of laughter. “Lord, no! I’m Lady Felicia’s driver.”

“Oh!” The brunette exclaimed, smiling brightly at Sid. “And do you like this job?” She asked, her voice heavily accented.

Before Sid could answer, the door opened and Felicia sashayed into the room. “It’s got its perks…” Sid murmured, bringing his glass to his lips.

“Everyone,” Felicia said, giving warm smiles to her two guests and Sid. “Please, take a seat!” Sid waited for Felicia to take a chair before moving towards the chair next to her, the other two sat across from them.

“Sissy,” Edward began, gesturing to the other woman, “this is Sonja Eberhardt, my fiancée.”

Felicia smiled, standing from her chair and offering the other woman her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sonja.”

“And you as well, Felicia,” the other woman said, giving her a brilliant smile. Sid couldn’t help but be slightly blown away by the German woman; she was a work of art. Sid could understand why Edward was so taken by her. She was beautiful and graceful, and surprisingly dainty. He never imagined he’d find a German woman to be so breathtaking.

“Sid?” Felicia asked, interrupting his thoughts.

“What?” He said, shaking his head and turning towards Felicia.

“Edward asked you how long you’ve been working for me,” she murmured, narrowing her eyes.

“Right, sorry… ‘bout a year and a half, yeah?” He said, turning to Edward.

“And do you enjoy working for my sister? Is she still the pile driver she was when we were young?”

Sid grinned. “She’s not bad… And getting to drive the Rolls is a define plus.”

* * *

Sid knocked lightly on Felicia’s door. She’d been rather cold to him throughout dinner, and he couldn’t help but realize he’d done something wrong. Of course, he didn’t know what it was that he’d done.

Felicia opened the door quietly, pulling him into her room. “What are you doing here, Sid?” She hissed, moving to sit on her bed.

“I just… What did I do?” He asked, moving to sit next to her on the bed.

“Nothing!” She quickly exclaimed, shaking her head. “Absolutely bloody nothing!”

“You see, I’d like to think that’s true, but your tone is implying otherwise.”

She pushed herself to her feet, moving to her bathroom. Sid groaned, falling back on the bed and covering his face with his hands.

“Do you think that Sonja is pretty?” Felicia called from the bathroom.

Sid had to bite his lip to keep back a laugh. Suddenly he realized what he’d done wrong – he’d paid far too much attention to Sonja, and not enough to Felicia. “You’re jealous, aren’t you?” He asked, standing and moving to the bathroom and leaning against the jamb.

“Of course not!” She exclaimed, her tone belying her words.

“You are!” Sid exclaimed, stepping towards her and putting his hands on her hips and kissing her neck.

She turned, placing her hands on his chest. She paused, not sure if she wanted to push him away or pull him closer. She finally decided to pull him closer, kissing him. “She’s a breathtaking woman…” She murmured, pressing her lips to his collarbone. “It’s hard not to be just the slightest bit jealous of her. She’s in the prime of her age…”

“She’s also engaged to your brother,” he said, smirking down at her and running his hands up and down her back. “And a German.”

She nibbled at his jaw. “He is, and she is.” She brought her hands down to the zip of his pants, slowly bringing it down. “But, let’s not talk about them now, alright?” She continued, dropping to her knees.

“I think I can agree to that.”

* * *

Sid was once more working on the garden, digging a hole for the lilac that he’d gone out and purchased that morning. Felicia and Sonja were sitting at the patio table, both with glasses of wine.

“So, a spring wedding?” Felicia asked, flipping through one of her books. “Always a good time for a wedding.”

“And when did you get married?” Sonja asked, her bare feet tucked underneath her.

“Monty and I had a fall wedding,” Felicia said, nodding at the younger woman.

Sonja paused, long enough for Felicia to look at her. “And… And did you love Monty?” Sonja murmured.

Sid paused in his digging, wiping his brow and glancing over at the two women. Felicia was quiet for several seconds, staring at nothing. “No,” she said finally, shaking her head. “I never really did.”

“Then why did you marry him?”

“Because… Because it’s what you do. You marry whoever it is that your parents approve of, and then you grin and bear it. It was my unfortunate reality. I simply tried to make the best of it. And I think I’ve done rather well… I get to host charity galas whenever I want, and I’m allowed to have my friends. Sid, for example. And there’s our church’s priest and parish secretary… I spend much of my time with them…”

Sonja nodded, her face serious. “Have you been in love?”

“Of course,” Felicia smiled warmly, reaching for her wine glass and taking a sip.

“And what was he like?”

“A rough sort. Not the kind of man my mother would approve of, that’s for sure. My father would have loved him, though… He hated Monty, absolutely hated him! Used to spend every get together finding new and subtle ways to insult him. But, he always enjoyed people who told it like it was. That’s who I got it from.”

“How did you know?”

Felicia gave a small smile. “I found that I sought him out. Even when I didn’t need his help, I’d go to him.” She paused, narrowing her eyes at Sonja. “Are you rethinking marrying my brother?”

“Oh, no!” Sonja exclaimed, shaking her head vigorously. “I very much love your brother! Edward is wonderful! I just know that love is a universal language…”

Felicia’s eyes flicked to Sid, and she gave him a small smile.

* * *

“So, you’ll be at the wedding, right?” Edward asked, putting his bags into the boot of the Rolls.

“Of course,” Felicia exclaimed, giving her brother a warm smile.

“Good. I don’t know if I could take on mother alone… She’ll hardly be glad that I’m marrying a German.”

“I can’t imagine that anyone will be terribly excited that you’re marrying a German, Edward,” she murmured, patting him on the shoulder.

“No, you’re right…” He murmured, his eyes flicking to where Sonja was standing with Sid. “But, I can’t say I mind. She’s worth it.”

Felicia looked at her brother lovingly. “You’ve finally changed, haven’t you? My brother, the serial lover… Settling down.”

He gave her a large grin of her own, reaching up and pinching her cheeks. “Nonsense! I’m the same brother I was! Still your favorite, for sure. Only, I’ll be with Sonja now.”

She batted his hands away. “And that’s what will be so oddly different! Besides, it will be a good bit of growth for me, yeah?”

“I hope so!”

“Are you ready to go dear?” Sonja asked, moving to stand next to him as Sid moved to the front door of the Rolls.

“Yes, I am!” He exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her waist and dipping her in a kiss. “So, we’ll see you in half a year, yeah?” He asked, turning to give Felicia one last smile.

“I’m counting down the days.”


	6. Gregory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set in the Winter of 1948.

"I have never felt this ill in my life," Felicia moaned, wiping at her brow with a cool washcloth.

"Are you sure you don't want me to call the doctor?" Sid asked, carding a hand gently through her hair.

"No, no, Sidney," she said, letting go of the cloth and patting his cheek gently. “I’ll be alright, eventually…” she whispered, giving him a tired smile.

“Felicia,” he murmured, his voice going quiet and concerned.

“Don’t worry about me, Sid,” she said, putting her arm back down on the bed next to her. “Though, I have to ask for you to entertain Gregory this week.”

Sid nodded. “I can certainly do that.”

“Wonderful,” she murmured, her voice slurring slightly as her eyes drifted closed.

Sid stood from the side of the bed, leaning over her and pressing his lips to his forehead. “Get some rest,” he whispered.

He took one last glance at Felicia, who was wrapped tightly in her blankets but shivering still. Once he’d closed the door, he sighed and rubbed his hand through his hair. He was rather worried about Felicia; she’d gotten sick the year before as well, but this time it seemed like she was doing much worse.

As he moved down the servant’s stairs and into the kitchen, he gave Nina a serious nod.

“She doing any better?” She asked, kneading the bread more violently than she usually did.

“No; worse, if possible.”

Nina narrowed her eyes at the dough, seeming angry. “She gets this way once a year, and it’s never easy to watch…”

Sid nodded, grabbing a tart from the plate and biting into it. “She’s a good woman, Lady Felicia.”

“The tops!” Nina exclaimed.

“Sid, Nina,” Roger said, giving them tired smiles. “How is she doing?” He asked, taking a seat on one of the kitchen chairs.

“Bit better. She wasn’t having fever dreams anymore, so I count that as a win.”

Roger nodded. “Poor me a tumbler, Sid,” he said, leaning his elbows on the table and placing his head in his hands. Sid gave a nod of his own, moving towards the cupboards and pouring one for Roger, before thinking twice and grabbing another two glasses and filling them as well. As he brought the glasses to the table, he passed two of them to Roger and Nina.

“Thank you, Sid,” Nina murmured, picking up the glass and taking a pull.

Sid pulled out the kitchen chair and settled into it. “Do you know when Gregory is supposed to get in, Roger?”

“Some time tomorrow morning, if he sticks to the schedule he sent us.”

“Does he usually?”

“For the most part, though the last time he visited he arrived a day early.”

“Well, let’s hope he doesn’t do that then.”

* * *

Sid groaned as he heard a pounding on his guest bedroom door. He rolled over, pulling his pillow over his head, hoping whoever was there would go away. Unfortunately, the knocking resumed a few seconds later.

“What!” He shouted, throwing his pillow to his side and sitting up.

“Sid, I’m sorry to wake you, but Gregory is here,” he heard the muffled voice of Roger call.

Sid let out another groan, swinging his feet over the side of the bed and pushing himself up. “Yeah… Give me a minute,” he said, searching around for his pair of trousers.

“I’ll show him into the sitting room.”

“Right, excellent,” Sid said, picking up his trousers and pulling them on, bringing the suspenders up over his shoulders. He looked over at his wrinkled button up tossed over the back of his chair, deciding to forgo that piece of clothing. He quickly slipped on his shoes, before leaving the room and heading down the stairs.

As he passed by the grandfather clock in the front hall, he rolled his eyes at the readout – it was hardly past four. Giving his head a shake, he moved to the sitting room door.

Gregory was pacing the room, looking rather worked up. He quickly looked up as he heard the door open, he paused in his step. “Hello?”

“Sid Carter,” Sid said, stepping forward and offering the other man his hand. “I’m Lady Felicia’s driver.”

“Oh… And what are you doing here greeting me?” He asked, sounding genuinely confused.

“Well, Lady Felicia dislikes being woken up so early,” Sid said, jumping instantly onto the defensive. “She’s also been rather ill these past few days, so unfortunately you’re going to be stuck with me for your visit.”

The man gave him an impish smile. “Sorry ‘bout that; I wasn’t trying to be rude. I was just confused, that’s all. Didn’t mean to be rude. Felicia always says that I’m a little too quick with my questions.”

“It’s fine…” Sid murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Can I show you to your guestroom? Let you settle in?”

“Oh, yes! That would be wonderful!”

“Right, just follow me.”

After he’d shown the other man to his room, he stepped into Felicia’s room, hoping to check in on her. The room was dark, with the shades drawn tight in the window. After his eyes had adjusted, he saw that Felicia had at some point in the night fallen off of her bed. He rushed over to her, dropping to his knees beside her.

“Felicia!” He exclaimed, putting his hands on her shoulder.

“I’m fine Monty,” she muttered, batting Sid’s hands away from her. “Just let me sleep.”

Sid pulled back, surprised by what she’d said before realizing she was once again hallucinating. He sighed, picking her up and placing her gently back on the bed. He settled down on the edge of the bed once more, running his hand across her cheek. He then pushed himself to his feet, moving to her closet and grabbing one of the button ups he kept there, slipping it on and doing up the buttons quickly.

* * *

“So, how did you meet Felicia?” Gregory asked, his voice excited. It had taken Sid only a few hours to realize that Gregory was a noisy man, so he’d taken the other man into the Red Lion.

“Well… I was just back from London and had stopped in to St. Mary’s, hoping to see our priest again. And, Felicia was helping around the church.”

“That’s it? Her letters always made it sound much more exciting…”

Sid gave the other man a closer look. “Has Felicia talked about me a lot in letters?”

“Oh, tons! Talks more about you then ol’ Monty. Not that I blame her – always felt he was quite a stick in the mud. Is he still an ol’ bore?”

Sid smirked, nodding. “When he’s around, yes.”

“What a prick. I warned Felicia when she got married that he wasn’t a good man. Most of my brothers, it took them a while before they realized what a bastard he was. Me? I knew from the beginning. He only ever looked at Felicia with mild annoyance. She deserved better than that, don’t you think?”

“Course,” Sid said, nodding and bringing his pint glass to his lips.

“My sister’s the absolute tops,” Gregory said, nodding energetically. “She always has been! She used to take me dancing at the jazz clubs, and it was always so much fun. Have you seen her dance? She’s a fantastic dancer.”

“I have, yeah.”

“She used to have all of the guys watching her when we’d go out. She always loved the attention. That was another reason I didn’t want her marrying Monty. He never even pretended to pay attention to her…”

Sid frowned, putting his pint glass down.

“But you give her the attention she deserves, right?”

Sid gave a shrug. “I like to think so. It’s not terribly hard.”

“Do you read her writing? She used to write the most amusing stories for us… These wonderfully fantastical stories where the fair maiden gets kidnapped and rescued. But, when she turned sixteen or so the stories started changing; suddenly it was the fair maiden doing the rescuing!” He paused, tilting his head in thought. “Now that I think about it, my older brothers stopped reading them then…”

“What about you?”

“Oh, I still do! The latest one she wrote was a banger! All about this fancy lady rushing in to save her stable master… It was little pulp-y, but I can’t fault her for that. But you never answered my question.”

Sid shook his head. “No. I didn’t even know that she wrote.”

“Well you’ll have to ask her about them. Maybe give one a read.” He paused, picking up his mostly forgotten pint and taking a long drink from it. “I think she’d really like that.”

Sid gave him a grin. “Probably would, yeah.”

* * *

“Your brother’s a rather odd sort, isn’t he?” Sid asked, rubbing a cool cloth across Felicia’s forehead. “Got far more energy than I ever have, that’s for sure.”

“Yes,” Felicia murmured. “Always has. Used to talk about a mile a minute. Took me years to get him to slow down his words.”

He paused, rubbing his free hand against his face. He was feeling extremely tired – he’d been planning on getting sleep when he’d gotten back from the pub, but after lying in bed for nearly an hour, he gave up on that and ducked into Felicia’s bedroom.

“You should get some sleep,” Felicia said, her eyes focusing on him for the first time in several days. “You look exhausted…”

Sid gave her a small smile, putting the cloth in the basin and rubbing his hand against her cheek. “Can hardly leave you when you’re shivering like this, can I?”

Felicia gave him a tired smile, nuzzling closer to his hand. “I didn’t say you had to leave – just that you should get some sleep,” she said, shifting over on the bed.

Sid let go of her cheek, moving to take off his button up and trousers. As he slid into the bed next to her, he took her hands between his. “Are you feeling any better, Felicia?” He whispered.

“I don’t think I’ve slept this much in months…” She said, closing her eyes tiredly. “Yet, for some bloody reason I’m still exhausted.”

Sid nodded, shifting in the bed and pulling her closer, wrapping his arms around her body and placing his chin on top of her head. “Have a feeling you’ll still be tired through the week,” he murmured, rubbing his hand against her back.

“It’s so bloody boring,” she murmured, her words slurring with sleep.

Sid chuckled.

* * *

“This visit was rather different from my usual ones,” Gregory said. “Quite a lot of fun, though!”

Sid smiled at the other man. “I’m glad. Sorry you couldn’t spend any time with Felicia – when I told her you leaving today she seemed very disappointed. She’d finally been feeling better.”

“I was really hoping I could see her myself, but… I’ve got to get back to London. My furlough’s up tomorrow, and I am hoping to spend a day in the seedier sides of the city!”

Sid snickered, nodding at the man. “Understandable.”

“Had a lot of fun with you, mate!” Gregory said, patting Sid on the shoulder. “You’re tops!”

Sid pulled back from the man. “Yeah? Well, you’re not so bad yourself, for a Windermere brother.”

“My other brothers are the worst, aren’t they? Andrew’s a snob, Bernard likes his parties too much, Connor’s nosey, Desmond a drunk, and Edward flirts with anything that moves. I might natter on and on, but at least I keep it light, yeah? At least that’s what Felicia always said… When she wasn’t telling me to slow down, that is!”

Sid chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Are you going to need any help with your luggage?”

“No worries on that. I can handle it. Thanks though!”

Sid followed the man outside of the train depot and to the train platform. “Are you looking forward to going back?” Sid asked.

“It’ll be fine. India’s a rather exciting country, when they aren’t spitting at your feet. Not quite fond of us, are they?”

“I can imagine.”

“Well…” Gregory said, watching the train pull into the station. “I better get going, yeah? Commanders hate when your late! Take it rather seriously, they do.” Sid nodded, slipping his hands into his pockets. Gregory paused, putting his luggage down and turning to Sid. “You’re a good man, Sid Carter. A little odd, but a good time. Take care of my sister, yeah? She likes you a lot, even if she doesn’t tell you.”

Sid nodded at the man, becoming serious. “I will.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have tentative plans for another chapter, one about Felicia's mother. I don't know when I'll get to it, but I'm def gonna do it at some point.


End file.
